(Family Features) Whether you enjoy your spring meals al fresco or simply turn to warm-weather dishes at the comfort of your own dining table, the season brings with it a perfect excuse to shake up your menu.
Lighter fare is often the way to go as temperatures climb, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for a regular sandwich or a boring salad. Instead, enhance these springtime classics by rethinking tradition in tasty (yet easy) ways.
This Sabich recipe calls for a multitude of fresh flavors including Aunt Nellie’s Pickled Beets and Onions and hard-boiled eggs plus a variety of veggies, hummus, and ethnic seasonings.
Find more easy springtime dishes at auntnellies.com.
Sabich
Recipe courtesy of eazypeazymealz.com
Prep time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
1 jar (16 ounces) Aunt Nellie’s Pickled Beets and Onions
1 medium eggplant
2 teaspoons salt, plus additional, to taste, divided
1 cup vegetable oil
4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
pepper, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons za’atar, plus additional for serving, divided (optional)
1/2 teaspoon sumac, plus additional for serving, divided (optional)
1 cucumber, diced
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 lemon, juice only
4 whole-grain pita breads with pockets
1/2 cup hummus
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Amba pickled mango sauce (optional)
1/4 cup tahini
Drain beets and onions; set aside.
Wash eggplant. Slice into 3/8-inch-thick pieces. Place slices on a cooling rack. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to slices to draw out extra moisture. Let sit for 10 minutes. Pat extra moisture off.
In a large 14-inch skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, place eggplant slices in oil; fry until browned, about 3 minutes per side, in batches of four pieces. Place on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb additional oil.
Season hard-boiled egg slices with salt and pepper, to taste. Season with 1/2 teaspoon za’atar and sumac, if desired. Set aside.
To make the salad: In a medium bowl, combine cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, lemon juice, and remaining za’atar. Set aside.
Gently slice one end of each pita and open pocket. In microwave on high, heat pitas 10 seconds. Place equal amounts of fried eggplant in each pita. Spread 2 tablespoons of hummus in each pita. Gently layer one-fourth of egg slices, beets and onions, cabbage, Israeli salad, and green peppers in each pita.
Drizzle each sabich with about 1 tablespoon amba sauce, if desired, and 1 tablespoon tahini. Season with additional salt and pepper or sumac and Za’atar, if desired.
Source: Seneca Foods
